Gates Foundation under scrutiny for “skewed” development agenda

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is widely recognised around the world as a powerful force for good, addressing hunger and poverty in many developing countries. But a new report has now claimed that its initiatives may in fact be detrimental to economic development and global justice.

In a 56-page study launched on January 20 and titled Gated Development – Is the Gates Foundation always a force for good?, United Kingdom non-profit Global Justice Now calls into question the philanthropic foundation’s programmes, saying that its development agenda is “skewed towards promoting private corporate interests” and marred by a lack of oversight in how its wealth and influence is managed.